Bladder attachment to valves of inflated articles and the like



l. D. PERRY 2,071,213

BLADDER ATTACHMENT TO VALVES OF INFLATED ARTICLES AND THE LIKE Feb. 16, 1937.

Filed Feb. 2, 1935 TWO Jil/9%?? .va -f9e7^2 @5M Q;

Patented Feb. 16, 1937 l oFFlcE sunnita ATTACHMENT 'ro vsLvE's olf muren sancties AND 'mn Lum IraD. Perry, Muskegon. yMieli. Y Application February 2. 1985, Serial No. r4,639 y 8 Claims. 27s-d5) This invention relates to improvements in `bladder attachments to valves of inilated articles and the like. Suchinfiated articles as footballs, basketballs. soccerballs. inner tubes, for

f5' automobile tires. and the like and many other such inflated articles are such as may receive the features of the present invention. but in mentioning these particular articles I do not intend thereby to limit the usefulness or scope of the 10 invention except 'as I may do so in the claims.

Furthermore, the features of the present invention be used in connection with both what may be called rubber valves and also metal valves.

One feature of the present invention is to provide a very simple and convenient form of connection between the bladder and the valve therefor, so that the bladder can be connected to and detached from the valve in very simple manner ab andwith very little troubleialao to provides construction whereby the 'valve can-be attached tothecasingoftheinililttedarticlepermanently.v

and whereby the bladder can be removed-from the valve itself 4for repair or otherwise.` and u whereby the bladder can thereafter be again connected to the valve in very simple fashion, and

without the need of special attlchins instrumentalities, and in perfectly airtight manner.

A further feature of the invention is/to pro- ,o vide a construction such that the bladder can be made and sold as a complete and self-con-l tained unit, ready for insertion in theicaaing. and

with the attaching means for connection to the valve unit of the casing,`thus making it possible u to manufacture and sell the bladder units separate vfrom the casing units, but with assurance' that when they are afterwards assembled or put together they will establish the complete airtight valve structures needed and intended for the airo sealing operations. This will also make it possible to remove either the bladder unit orthe casing and valve unit, and substitute another unit therefor, in case of defects developing in the unit for which substitution is to be made.

Another feature of the invention isvtc provide an arrangement'such that the bladder is reinforced at the position of the valve which is to be connected thereto. such reinforcement taking the place of the usual reinforcement of other 5o forms of device.

. In connection with the foregoing -featur it is a further obiect to provide means for connecting the bladder and casing units-and the valve. to-

gether, whether the valve be of rubber or of 55 metaLandwithouttheneedoflning with various forms 'of' valve l 4known and used. l

yor vulcanizingoperations, thereby simplifying the operations, ,and making it possible to make substitutions in simple manner, and without the needof using ycementing or vulcanizing equip- 6 Another lfeature of the invention relates to the provision of a rubber or resilient valve stem having therein a through extending air passage, together with means for compressing the valve stem to ythereby close the air e against'outl0 flow of `air: suchcompressing means being peculiarly'adapted to peri'orxn its sealing and cloaing function very advantageously and eifectiveli. In this connection it is an object to provide snarrangement in which the valve'stem is ls vided with an encircling groove or channel of va natural or normal size -less than that of a. compressing ring or member-both the valve stein and the compressing ring or member sometimes being of rubber lor resilient material. or sometimes ,.,of relatively hard material such as metal so thatwhen these parts are assembled a very strong and perfect sealing and compressing action is produced. In this connection the arrangement I is such that the-encircling ring must be stretched,

'prior to-insertionover the stem member, and

during such stretching operation its thickness is reduced, so that -when it again contractsl into` place within the groove or channel of member there" is produced both a contracting action and a crowding action of the ringagainst' the faces of the groove or channel, with consequent improvement oi' the sealing action.y v

Y Sometimes the clamping ring isV provided with a beveled clamping edge. and sometimes with a rounded or otherwise formed clamping edge. but I in either case the action is auch asiust above explained.

i Another feature of the invention is to provide an arrangement which is welly adapted for use o stem heretofore l Other obiects and uses ofthe invention will appear from a detailed description of the same,

which consists in the features-of construction and 4s combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. r l

-In the drama-ligure ljshowsa section through a valve member connected to a casing,

and through the adjacent portion of the bladdilr'q)y member andthe clamping disk connected thereto, the parts being separated and in their nahiral or normal condition 4 prior to stretching. the clamping disk into place on the valve stem:

-I'lgure-2showsasectionthroughabladderlecis n provided `with a'modiiied. form of clamping usewiththevalvestemoithecasing of Figure 1;

ll'lgure 8 shows. a fragmentary section .through edge portion of the, clamping ring in its nor- 10 ing`howduring this operation the thickness of of the valve stem itself;

Figures 5 and 6 show modiiied views similar to thoseotr'igures3and4but withtheuse oi'clamping ring having its inner edge rounded instead of provided with a sharp inner edgei- Figure 7 showsa face view of the clamping rim!v or disk. with the hole thereof shown in normal ol-reduced size by 'full lines, and showing the stretched sise of said hole bymeans oi' dotted Figure 8 shows an assembled sectional view 'oi' the parts of Figure l assembled together; --ll'lgureQshowsaviewsimilartothatofFigureB -but illustrating'a modiiled form of valve stem;

Figure 1 0 shows a view oi another form of valve stem provided with the features of the present 4B dmilar material. 'Ihe valve member 'proper is designated by the numeral il. It includes the diskil which is sewedor otherwise permanently attached to the inner face'otthe casing. and

preierablythereisashortlug orboss reaching -so outwardly from the diskzll and through a Properly lined hole ot the casing so that saidilug or boas comes flush with the exterior oi' the Vcasing as shown in the figures.

'I'he valve member is also providedA with an ss inwardly reaching'stem portion il which reaches .tothe inter-lorV or the. bladder (presently te be described), when the casing andbladder mernbers are assembled together. There is preier' ably provided a short inwardly extending hole 2l f eomthebenermgn enamaugnmentwiunne stem ll.`l There is also provided a very iine slit or longitudinal out Il reaching lengthwise the 'stem from the'hole 2l to the inner ot the stem, which slit or cut is too nne to .shallow now ci air therethrough under normal voir-.- Hclnnsta'nceabut which slit or cut maybe enlalgedbyinsertion ofthe infiating tool or other-y wuewnenitudesiredtoesuseantonowthrougn the valve fosI iniiatio'n or deflation purposes.A

The bladder is designated by thevnumeral 2 2.`

o It is of rubber or ,other elastic material of usual dorm. This bladder is provided at the position o! the valve stem Vwith a hole to receive the valve stun', and said hole'is preferably reinforced. -Ihe' hole is indicated` by the numeral Il. It is inor unstretched condition. and on enlarged invention. the stem of this figure being one which f provided with a rounded edge 28.

-tended that the bladder and reinforcement shall be stretched prior to setting the valve stem through the hole 2l, and then when the b1adder and casing have been thus assembled, when the bladder is allowed to relax it will firmly grip the 5 valve stem, and thus cause a compressing action to be exerted on the stem,-with consequent imi provement of the sealing action of the air passage through the stem. .r

'Ihe valve stem is provided with an encircling groove or channel 24 at the base'of the stem, and close to'the inner face of the disk il, into which groove or channel the ring or bladder reinforce-- ment enters. This groove or channelis preferably of relative-narrow or sharp angle, say thirty degrees as illustrated. when in its normal or relaxed condition. The hole of the bladder or ring is then made ot'greater angle of taper in its edgeportion as shown in Figure 1 (lower portion), say sixty degrees, when relaxed or in its normal condition; and vfurthermore, the thickness of the edge ot the hole of the ring or reinforcement is greater than that of the groove or channehthat is, the thickness of the edge of the hole is greater than the axial dimension of the groove or channel into which said ring is intended to be inserted; butwhen the bladder isstretched in order to enlarge its hole so that it can be set over the valve stem. there occurs a corresponding distention of the material of the bladder or ring so that it becomes thinner while thus distended or. stretched, and becomes again thicker when allowed to again contract in diameter. Consequently, by stretching the ring or bladder sumciently vto enlarge the hole thereof to a point such that it can be set over the valve stem the edge material oi.' the ring or bladder is so thinned that it can be seated into the groove or channel, and then when allowed to contract the material of. the ring or bladder will crowd laterally into the grooveor channel and produce a very tight engagement therewith.- In this connection, the stretching of the ring or bladder also serves to reduce the -angle of the edge portion of the hole to -a degree which approximates the angle ofthe groove. or channel, and then when the contraction occursthe edge of the ring or bladder will tend to again resume its former greater langle, with a still further clamping and sealing action against the edge -of the hole in the ring or bladder. Y

Comparison oi Figures 3 and 4 will emphasize the above mentioned action. In Figure 4 the normal angle of the edge portion of the lring or bladder is shown by dotted lines: and when it is stretched to receive the valve stem its .thickness :is reduced and the angle is also reduced to approximate that oi the groove or' channel; and then when 'the stretching. action is relaxed the ring or bladder tends to bulge outwardly slightly as shown at 2l in Figure 4. In this connection, ordinarily the material of the valve stem is harder or stiiierthan that of the ring or bladder, sometimes being oi metal, so that the channel will more completely resist the clamping or forcing produced by the ring or bladder, and the edge of the latter will not restore completely to its former condition. In Figure 2 I have shown a modified arrangement in which the hole of the ring or bladder is In this case an action similar to that already described ls produced, and the relaxation oi' the ring or bladder -produces both an axial compression as well as a radial compression against the groove or channel. In Figure? the dotted circle 21 indicates the enlargement of the hole when the ring vor bladder isstretched to receive the valve stem. The arrangements .shown in Figures 9; 10, and

11 differ fromv that heretofore described chiefly inthe details of the valve stem construction, and

it is not deemed necessary to describe these valve forms in great detail herein. It may be mentioned, however, that in the form of Figure 9 the 10 valve stem is straight; in that of Figure 10 the valve is provided with two outwardly flaring wings or portions 2l and 20 which are drawn together by means of the encircling band or ring I0, and that in the form of Figure 11 thereis pro- ).5 vided a central insert or section. 3l in the valve stem.4 the hole' I2 at the outer end of the stem registering with the surface ofcontact I3 between the main body of the stem and the insert aforesaid. When the inating tool is inserted 2 through the no1e n n must and its wey sewn between the insert and the main body of the stem as will be readily understood from examinationI portion 'of the hole lof the ring or bladder and-- 3'0 the surfaces of the groove or channel. so that a very greatly improved sealing and contacting action is produced between these parts when the material of the ring or bladder is allowed toI relax and contract against the groove of the valve 85 stem. It will also be understood that when the bladder and casing carrying the valve vstem are to' be separated from each other, this may be readily accomplished by pulling the members \apart, the material. of the ring or bladder stretching sumciently to permit this result to be at- 40 tained. n While I have herein shownand described onl certain embodiments of the features of my present invention, still I do not intend to limit myself thereto, except as I may dc so in the claims. l'

l. As a new article Ofmanufacture, an air valve for the purpose specined, including a stem of rubber and having a longitudinally extending air passage therethrough, and also havingan ens circling groove around its central po ion, said groove being of relatively small or ow or restricted angle, together with a ring pf elastic material having a, central opening of normally smaller size than the root oi the groove and having the edge of said central opening of normally v es thereafter permitted to contraer inte the groove the'Vedge portion of the ring opening becomes thi r and its edge angle enlarges or broadens to reby firmly engage the groove, substantially 'as ldescribed.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an air valve for. the purpose specified, including a stem of rubber and having a longitudinally extending v air passage therethrough, and also having an encircling groove around its outer portion, saidl v1Igroovebeir'ignorxnallyofagivencrol-scction of relatively small anale. together with a ring of elastic material having a central opening of norv mally smaller size than the root of the groove, an edge portion of said central opening being ncrmally of a larger cross-section than the cross- 5 section of the inserting end of the stem, whereby the central opening portion of the ring of minimum diameter is caused to stretch suilicientlyy to receive the stem and thereafter to contract and wedge firmly into the groove to forcibly compress l0 the grooved portion of the stem radially of the central opening. v

3. As a new article of manufacture, an air valve comprising complementary detachablestem. and ring portions, the material of lthe stem being 15 of rubber at one location, and said stem being provided withf'an encircling groove at said location, said groove being of a given cross-section of relativelysmall angle at said location, and the ring vportion compressing a thickened wall por- 20 tionof an article to be inilated and havinga central opening andbeing of elastic material at the position of said opening, said central opening being oi normally smaller size than the root of L the groove aforesaid, and an edge portion of said 25 y central opening being of normally greater cross` section than the stem adjacent the groove, whereby when the ring is stretched to enlarge the edge .portion of the central opening suiiicien'tly to ,re-J ceive the stem the cross-section of the 'central opening is reduced and contracted into wedging engagement with the walls of the groove to cornpact the elastic material of the stem radially.

4. As a4 new article of manufacture,a valve for the purpose specied, comprising comple- 3f mentary detachable stem. and ring portions, the stem being provided with a radially enlarged portion and an encircling groove of given cross- Asection, ofy relatively small angle adjacent said -oi' the central opening being of normally thicker dl size and normally greater cross-section than the groove, whereby the elastic material surrounding the central opening in the ring is caused to stretch on 'insertion of the' stem therethrough and then contract within and forcibly oom.- l0

press the grooved portion, of the stem radially from the adjacent enlarged portion. 5. The combination withl an,infiatable article including a bladderand a casing therefor, of valve means for said article, said valve means including a rubber stern extending inwardly from the casing and secured thereto, there being a longitudinally extending passage through Vsaid stem, and there being an encircling groove around said stem close Ato the interior surface of the l0 casing, and the bladder having a thickened rubber portion in which, an opening for the accommodation of the stem is provided, said openingbeing of normally smaller size than the cord of the groove in the stem and tapering outwardly therefrom, whereby thethickened materiale! the bladder surrounding said opening is caused to wedge within the annular grooved portion of the rubber stem and compact the material thereof radially of its central opening and prevent the passage of air 70 therethrough. v

6. The combination with an inflatable articl including a bladder and a casing therefor, of v valve means for said article, comprising means for securely connecting the casing and bladder together, said valve and connecting means including a stem securely connected to the casing and projecting inwardly therefrom and having a longitudinallyextending through air passage. and also'having an encircling groove around said shank or stem close to the inner surface of thev casing. said groove being of generally angular cross-section with its angie of given normal degrec. and the stem being oi one degree or hardneas at the position of said groove. and the bladder being oi rubber, and having an opening'ior accommodation oi the stem. said opening being normally ot sise mailer than the stem. and the edge portion of said opening being ot generally angular cross-section with the normal angle of greater degree than the angle of the groove, whereby when the bladder is stretched to enlarge the opening-thereof to receive the stem the angle ot the edge portion oi the opening becomes of reduced degree ci angle to enter the groove, and when the bladder is thereafter permitted to contract the edge portion oi the opening expanda angularly into the groove to thereby produce a very tight and iirm connection between the parts, substantially u described.

7. Connecting means between the casing and bladder of an iniiatable article, including a stem yedge portion oi. l the opening being oi generally angular cross-section and smaller size than the stem at the position oi the groove. the degree of the angle of the groove being less than the normaldegree of the angle of the edge portion o! the opening. substantially as described.

8. Connecting means between 'thecasing and -bladder oi' an iniiatable article, including a rubber valve acting-stem on either one oi said parts, and there being an opening in the other oi said parts to receive said stem, said part having said opening being of rubber at the position o! said opening, the stem being provided with an encircling groove to receive the wall of the opening in said other part,.and the root of the groove being 'oi greater transverse dimension than that ci the opening andthe material surrounding the opening being of greater thickness than the width of the groove, whereby when the parte are contracted together the material surrounding the opening expands into the groove with very tight and nrm connection between the parts compacting the material oi the vvalve acting stem and preventing the escape oi' air therethrough. substantially as described.

9. As a new article of manufacture. an airl valve ior bladders of playballs and the like including a, rubber stem having a longitudinally extend'-4 ing substantially closed passageway therethrough and an encircling groove around its outer portion, said groove being oi 'relatively small dimensions, and means for compressing and conrpacting the root portion oi the grooved stem,

comprising a stretched elastic element encirclingthe stem and wedged into and substantially illling said groove and exerting radial pressure upon the stem at the root of the groove, whereby escape oi air through said passageway is prevented.

' IRA D. PERRY. 

